I was all excited to watch the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic games!
Beijing’s 2008 outstanding show would be a hard one to beat but this was after all Great Britain, was it not? The beginning looked promising. The glimpse into rural agrarian England and on through the industrial Revolution, the Olympian rings spectacularly lifted to the skies – wow! Top that off! Or cap that off – literally with nurse’s caps and doctor’s coats! For a minute I thought I might have turned on the wrong channel; Britain’s got Talent or some lost Broadway show.
You know something is good when you are riveted and you don’t want it to end. In turn, you know it’s not up to par when you catch yourself wondering what in heaven’s name is going on and hoping it will wind up soon. After an incessantly long and vigorous lullaby, undue veneration to the Healthcare System, children in PJ’s on Hospital beds – wait a minute, was this an insurance spoof? No, my friends, this is a grand athletic opening – my brain is trying to justify it’s involvement – health, fitness, etc…sure! The stage is lulled and put to sleep. All right people, let’s rise and shine! Nay, rather we had to descend into books, dreams, and oh no (oh yes!), nightmares!
Rowling makes a guest appearance and monster size, gigantor Potter nightmare creatures make their entrance. (Thank heavens my 7 -year old did not see this!) Mary Poppins saves the day – is this a reference to the fact that all these statuesque athletes were once children?! There is more nurse and doctor prancing – the baby of the hospital – which should have been a sweet symbol (but seriously, can someone please explain the relevance to the Games?) The baby nonetheless appears like some titan child – a little creepy as one of the commentators honestly put it. Mr. Bean lends an unwholesome touch of slapstick humor to the fantastically performed Chariots of Fire and then this whole gush into stardom, the high tech world and boy meets girl! Boy meets girl? Now, is that what the Olympics are all about? Amidst garishly dressed dancers who prance vigorously, a series of cell phone text messages eventually lead up to some serious kissing! I am cringing for the poor Britons – surely they must be so embarrassed.
Perhaps Danny Boyle decided it would be impossible to follow up the Beijing act so he swung his baton the other way and brought to the arena entertainment that has little relevance to the theme. This is not improbable – the man is brilliant in the film industry but here I believe the opposite. For a wonder they didn’t throw in a good dose of sex education while they were at it.
Perhaps the Organizers lost sight of what they were doing. The Olympics is more than entertainment – it is about achievement. It is about excellence and precision. It is about sacrifice and extreme discipline. It is not Mr. Bean dreaming about skirting the track, tripping everyone up and busting his way to the finish line, in a sense, mocking the life long, competitive dreams of athletes from around the world.
It was disgusting! Is this the crass world my poor children must grow into? What happened to class and finesse? What happened to standard? What do the Olympics have to do with the finest kisses of the silver screen and romance? Seriously the Hunger Games director might have done better.
The lighting of the torches was some placation but I was frankly speaking, so disappointed!
The next morning I was curious to see what the media would say and I am afraid to say that they all claimed the emperor was clothed in the finest silks!
That the display had to be “explained” was ironic! In layman’s words – trying to make sense of it!
Forgive us, Greeks! You who gloried in the display of human excellence! Did you rent your togas and mourn the passing of the torch to this generation? Take heart; let the opening be that unjudged cover of the best pages yet to come. Now, the best compete with the best, perfection rivals perfection, may the athletes themselves bring in their own redemption. Despite this sordid start let’s forget the film producers and clothes designers, and focus in on what the Olympics is all about as the games thankfully begin!
Yes, that’s so true! Excellence and discipline totally out of the picture. Moreover these curtain-raisers are an opportunity to display the country’s accomplishments. There was really scant to nothing on Britain’s literary and scientific achievements. Granted they showed a realistic past- a rural romantic place destroyed by the blight of industrialism. But what did they portray modern Britain to be? A jaunty place that laughs at ceremony and pomp, and yet holds dear the royal institution. Having Mr. Atkinson made Sir Simon and the orchestra look like fools….. But hats off to China for this year’s excellence as well! They really have gruelling trainers!
I know! The opening ceremony of course is also an opportunity for the hosting country to promote itself – preferably in a positive light…:(! Britain could have surely done better! Yes, China has done really well and the US is happy to be back in the medal lead. I was happy to see that India also had a few medals in shooting, badminton and boxing!